Orbán's Far-Right Bloc Pursues EU Parliament Quota Achievement

On Saturday, a coalition of political parties from various European countries announced their support for Viktor Orbán's new EU parliamentary grouping, "Patriots for Europe". The group now boasts 23 MEPs and includes the Danish People’s Party, Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang, Austria’s Freedom Party, Czech Republic's ANO, Dutch anti-Islam party PVV, Portugal's Chega, and Spain's Vox.

The group aims to promote conservative values, curb immigration, and potentially end European support for Ukraine's defense against Russia’s actions. This move has drawn criticism from the EU, with foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressing concern over Orbán representing Hungary without prior consent from the EU council during his engagements with international organizations such as the Organisation of Turkic States and a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Despite opposition from Brussels to legitimizing territories like the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Orbán's "Patriots for Europe" has been recognized by the EU parliament and is now seen as an emerging force within European politics.